Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction

By (author) Paul Bahn; By (author) Bahn Paul
Short description/annotation
The explorations of archaeology encompass the whole globe, survey 2.5 million years, and range from deserts to jungles, from deep caves to mountain tops, and from pebble tools to GPS. Its efforts to reconstruct and understand the past do not fail to fascinate us. Paul Bahn explores the importance of archaeology in this entertaining introduction.
Description
This entertaining Very Short Introduction reflects the enduring popularity of archaeology - a subject which appeals as a pastime, career, and academic discipline, encompasses the whole globe, and surveys 2.5 million years. From deserts to jungles, from deep caves to mountain tops, from pebble tools to satellite photographs, from excavation to abstract theory, archaeology interacts with nearly every other discipline in its attempts to reconstruct the past. In this new edition, Paul Bahn brings the text up to date, including information about new discoveries and interpretations in the field, and highlighting the impact of developments such as the potential use of DNA and stable isotopes in teeth, as well the effect technology and science are having on archaeological exploration. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Table of contents
FURTHER READING; INDEX
Review quote
Review from previous edition Very lively indeed and remarkably perceptive - a quite brilliant and level-headed look at the curious world of archaeology.
Review quote
It is often said that well-written books are rare in archaeology, but this is a model of good writing for a general audience. [The] chapters rattle along, packed with information by never getting bogged down in too much details. The book is full of jokes, but its serious message-that archaeology can be a rich and fascinating subject-it gets across with more panache than any other book I know.
Biographical note
Paul Bahn is a freelance writer, translator, and broadcaster in archaeology. He is a Fellow of the Society of ntiquaries, a corresponding member of the Archaeological Institute of America, a contributing editor of Archaeology magazine (New York), and vice-president (UK) of the Easter Island Foundation. He instigated and led the project which discovered Britain''s only known Ice Age cave art in 2003.
Publisher''s notice
Paul Bahn is a freelance writer, translator, and broadcaster in archaeology. He is a Fellow of the Society of ntiquaries, a corresponding member of the Archaeological Institute of America, a contributing editor of Archaeology magazine (New York), and vice-president (UK) of the Easter Island Foundation. He instigated and led the project which discovered Britain''s only known Ice Age cave art in 2003.
Feature
Considers the origins and development of the practice of archaeologyExplores the methods that archaeologists use to explore the past and consider how people livedReflects the move from traditional archaeology to science-based archaeology, including how genetics has contributed heavily to modern practiceHighlights how archaeologists have a place in some of the most prominent debates of our age, such as the role of climate change, the effects of rises in sea-level, and the possibility of global warmingPart of the Very Short Introduction series - over five million copies sold worldwide
Review quote: previous edition
''Very lively indeed and remarkably perceptive - a quite brilliant and level-headed look at the curious world of archaeology.'' Barry Cunliffe, University of Oxford